Ammar Answers “WHAT’S BEHIND BLUE SKIES?” with Catchy, Emotional Odes
AMMAR’S NEW ALBUM OOZES INDIE SLEAZE
Clicking play on the first song off ammar's new album, WHAT'S BEHIND BLUE SKIES? I crash-zoomed back to his co-headlined Milford Arts Council show. While performing "heaven?," he crouched down on stage, screaming into the mic, as he wove his screams up and down over the commanding guitar. That rage in the first song morphs through each track, ending up in a place with more ease than the beginning. If the album starts in the mysterious and nihilistic totality of space behind blue skies, by the end of the album, he centers himself back on Earth among fluffy clouds.
ammar is clearly inspired by this "indie sleaze" era of music and fashion. The nostalgic sounds on this album match ammar's classic suit and skinny black tie, which peek through on the album cover. The second track, "girl, interrupted," has a guitar solo that sounds like a Two Door Cinema Club waltz, tied in a bow at the end with a true-to-the-era voicemail (this was not just an aesthetic play - ammar says the voicemail is real). His second track, "pixie cut," sounds even more emblematic of the fashion and music resurgence. His drawn-out, broody singing is similar to his influence Julian Casablancas. "I've always loved The Strokes... I wanted to go in a more garage-rock direction overall. I was also heavily inspired by King Krule, Deftones, The Kooks, and The Killers, which I listened to in 2018-2019 as I fizzled out of producing rap music."
Photo: Antonio Cuevas
From swerving out of rap production, moving from LA back to Connecticut, and exploring new personal sounds spanning multiple genres, this album is another step in ammar's constant experimentation - "pixie cut" is his first song without autotune. "I wanted to challenge myself with that," he said. "It was me in my purest form." Even though the lack of vocal effect is new territory, the single is his number-one song on Spotify. His raw emotion and sometimes unedited voice resonate with his audience.
"(nevermind") is a standout. ammar perfectly mixes the indie throwback sound with new rock, comparable to the catchiness of THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE. ammar's voice is soft on the track, and when his guitar and voice break into the chorus, it feels like a smooth skate on ice.
By the final song, "empty suitcase," ammar's voice shines through with acoustic drums and guitar that feels like listening to him play live in a living room. It reminded me of him getting on the ground during his MAC performance, laying down to center his energy to feel at home. That comfort to share unabashed emotion comes through this song.
Ammar has a vision for this new sub-punk-pop genre that mixes fun, bouncy emotions with deep storm clouds. These storms that ammar experiences are inspirations for the album. "I just wanted to have fun after all the existentialism and depression I experienced," he shared. "[With the album title,] I imagined myself walking outside like I was from the City of Ember (which felt like my depression), seeing colors above me for the first time."
Indeed, ammar brings us through the sadness and pain to a renewed vitality for love, for sadness, for the deep emotion we experience on the album and in life. He does all this through catchy, enjoyable songs, which many fans may miss from these past few years in mainstream "alternative" rock. It will be a joy to see him continue circling back into his old ways but with the confidence to grow.
